NOGALES, Ariz. – The government spent half a billion dollars to beef up border security but Tuesday 3TV got a rare bird's-eye view of the border that may have many asking ‘What security?’"
3TV’s Kristine Harrington rode along on an aerial surveillance of our border, spending about two hours flying along the border in search of border security, which is the National Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents.
3TV made the trek with one man who has made the journey many times before keeping tabs on the government and our homeland security.
Glenn Spencer, with American Border Patrol, explains, “American Border Patrol is...we call ourselves America's eyes on the border.”
For several years Spencer has flown the border documenting the fence and the lack there of. He says, “We keep the government honest.”
That also means keeping tabs on the Department of Homeland Security, the Border Patrol, Immigration Customs Enforcement and the newly deployed National Guard.
Spencer explains, “Now with the National Guard coming out all this activity we expect we'll be flying it every two weeks.”
Flying over Nogales, 3TV spotted the same camouflage tent from last week plus one more. 3TV has been told that coincides with the way the 560 troops are being rolled out in weekly waves.
Spencer says, “We were surprised to see they weren't out on hills looking out at remote area. They were right on the border at Nogales surrounded by Border Patrol.”
The National Guard is not deployed in any sort of law enforcement capacity. They are there to assist the Border Patrol and to act as a second set of eyes and ears, armed strictly for self defense.
Spencer says he would rather see the troops in the rugged, uncovered, fenceless terrain between Sasabee and Nogales. “This the major hot spot right now this whole section right here. If you can't have a fence, let's have National Guard there.”
Ultimately there will be some 560 National Guard troops near the border in Arizona but no one is saying where and no one is saying what exactly they will be doing but one thing is for sure.
Spencer says, “We'll be flying every week until everyone is there.”
Arizona should have all 560 troops on the border by October 1 and they could be there as a long as a year.
